List of thrash metal bands

Metallica were part of the Bay Area thrash metal scene and hugely influential on the genre as a whole.[1]

Various bands have played thrash metal at some point of their career. The genre evolved in the early 1980s from combining the drum beats of hardcore punk with the guitar style of the new wave of British heavy metal.[2] It emerged partially as a reaction to the more conventional and widely acceptable glam metal, a less aggressive, pop music-infused heavy metal subgenre which appeared simultaneously.[3]

Four American bands, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer, are credited with popularizing the genre, earning them the title of the "Big Four of Thrash".[4][5] In Germany, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard, led the Teutonic thrash metal scene, garnering the nickname "The Big Four of Teutonic Thrash".[6][7] The Clash of the Titans tour, which featured Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies, is considered to be the genre's pinnacle, after which thrash metal saw a decline in popularity throughout the 1990s.[8] Thrash metal has seen a resurgence in recent times, with many of the older bands returning to their roots with their new releases.[9] A new generation of thrash metal bands emerged in the early 2000s, drawing lyrical and visual inspiration from the older groups.[10][11]

Thrash metal was an inspiration for later extreme genres such as death metal and black metal. This list also includes certain bands which belong to the first wave of black metal. These bands essentially played thrash metal with a heavy emphasis on Satanic and occult themes in the lyrics and imagery.[12] Over the years, thrash metal has developed a few subgenres of its own, such as crossover thrash and groove metal.[13]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Metallica Biography at AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  2. ^ McIver, Joel (29 April 2010). "A History of Thrash Metal". Total Guitar. MusicRadar. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  3. ^ Weinstein, Deena (2000). Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture. Da Capo Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-306-80970-5.
  4. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry (2002). A to Z of Thrash Metal. Cherry Red Books. p. 450. ISBN 1-901447-09-X.
  5. ^ Grow, Kory (22 August 2011). "The Story of the Big Four: The Clash of the Titans". Revolver. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Destruction was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (15 August 2013). "10 Best Thrash Metal Bands of All Time". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  8. ^ Bienstock, Richard (31 August 2011). "The History of Thrash Metal". Guitar Player. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Thrash Metal Revival". Decibel. Archived from the original on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
  10. ^ Thomson, Jamie (22 July 2010). "Thrash Is Back on the Menu with the Big Four". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  11. ^ Ramirez, Carlos (22 July 2010). "Top 10 New School Thrash Bands". Noisecreep. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  12. ^ Dunn, Sam (5 August 2005). Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (motion picture). Canada: Dunn, Sam.
  13. ^ Wallach, Jeremy; Berger, Harris M.; Greene, Paul D., eds. (2011). Metal Rules the Globe: Heavy Metal Music Around the World. Duke University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-8223-4733-0.